However, there's one player who has consistently given his all whenever he has been afforded the opportunity to don the yellow shirt of Sundowns, and that's none other Gaston Sirino.

When Sirino first arrived in South Africa, very few believed he would be an instant hit. In fact, the majority thought this was a desperate move on the part of Sundowns.

This was because the team was already running like a well-oiled machine with trophies to its name and some top players in its books.

But Mosimane needed a player of Sirino's calibre to try and turn him into what the club needed at the time.

At the time, Khama Billiat had already hinted that he would leave the club, while Sibusiso Vilakazi was still struggling to adapt to his surroundings at Chloorkop.

Getting someone who knew how to play football, but wasn't familiar with the league was a masterstroke, and Sirino knew he had to adapt quickly if he was to play regularly in the already star-studded Sundowns team.

He's got speed and isn't afraid to take players on. What makes him a special player is that Sirino doesn't only score crucial goals, but he ensures that the team creates enough goalscoring opportunities week in and week out.

Sirino was brought in for that purpose, but Mosimane has done more work on him, helping him become an unplayable monster in the league.

It is for this reason and many others, that Sundowns are in the quarter-finals of the Caf Champions League and on the brink of qualifying for the semi-finals after thrashing Al Ahly 5-0. And guess what, Sirino's was also on the scoresheet.

Article continues below

Mosimane was smart in not limiting Sirino to one position as he gave him the freedom to use his versatility to hurt opposition defences.

Sirino is almost everywhere on the pitch, as he usually switches from left to right and sometimes comes through the middle to dismantle defences and either score or set up his teammates.

This is the kind of player that Sundowns needed especially after losing both Keagan Dolly and Billiat, and one would have thought they would struggle without the pair.